Steam-feed-valve control mechanism



D. VANZILE.

STEAM FEED VALVE CONTROL MECHANISM. APPLICATION men MAR. 24, 1919.

PafntedAug. 3,1920.

measures r rENT carter.-

DANIEL VANZILE, OF VREDENBURGH, ALABAMA.

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STEAM-FEED-VALVE CONTROL MECHANISM.

' Patented Aug.3,1920.

Application filed March 24, 1919. Serial No. 284,713.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, DANIEL VANzILn, acitizen of the United States, residing at Vredenburgh, Alabama, haveinvented a certain new and useful "Improvement in Steam-Feed-ValveControl Mechanisms, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. p

My invention relates generally to valves and more particularly to asteamfeed valve and control mechanism that is particularly designed foruse in connection with the steam feed cylinders of saw mills.

The principal objects of my invention are, to generally improve upon andsimplify the construction of the existing types of the combination steamfeed and exhaust valves now generally used in connection with the steamfeed cylinders of saw mills; to provide a relatively simple valve'whichis ef fective in controlling the supply of steam from the supply'pipe tothe steam feed cylinder and the'exhaust of steam from the latter; toprovide a steam feed valve with a valve stem which is constructed so asto effeotually prevent the valveffrom becoming loose or detached anddropping downwardly into the lower portion of the valve housing; toprovide a construction wherein the valve stem hasbearingsnear'both itsendsin the valve housing, thereby insuring proper movement of said valvestem and the valve carried thereby under all conditions; to provide avalve which comprises relatively few parts and which are constructed soas to be readily assembled or taken apart, thereby facilitatinginstallation and repairs; and

further, to provide asimple and efficient actuating and controlmechanism for the two valves utilized adjacent to the ends of the steamfeed cylinder of a saw mill or the like. c With the foregoing and otherobjects in view,my invention consists in certain novel featuresof'construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is an elevational view partly in section of a portion ofa steam feed cylinder for saw mills and showing my improved valves andvalve control mechanism associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section taken approximately on the line22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately onthe line 33 of Fig.2.

Referring by numerals to the. accompanying drawings, 10 designates thesteam feed cylinder usually employed for operating saw mill carriagesand connected to both ends of this cylinder are pipes 11 which are forthe purpose of conveying live steam to said cylinder and exhaust steamtherefrom.

One of my improved valves and its housing isconnected to each pipe 11and each housing comprises an upper part 12 and a lower part 13. Theupper part 12 is in the form of a vertically disposed cylindrical bodyin which is formed a valve chamber 14:, having the same internaldiameter throughout its length. Connected to one side of this upperportion of the valvebody and preferably by means of a flange 15 is abranch pipe 16, which leads from a steam supply pipe 17, the latterbeing preferably arranged at a point midway between the two valves andvalve housings. 7

Connected to the opposite side of the valve body 12, preferably by meansof a fiange 18,

is the lower end of the pipe 11 that leads to 'lower end of the upperpart 12 of the housing and the end of the horizontal portion of saidelbow 13 is connected inanysuitable manner to abran'ch pipe 21, whichleads to an exhaust pipe 22, the latter beingpreferably located at apointmidway between the two valves andtheir housings.

Removably position ed on top of the upper part 12 of the housing isahead or cap 23. and arranged in the center thereof is-a valve stembearing 24 which includes a stufling box and gland.

Formed through the lower portion of elbow 13 is a valve stem bearing 25the same being in direct. alinement with bearing 24 and said bearing 25including a stufling box and bland.

Arranged for sliding movement through the bearings 24 and25 is a rod 26which constitutes a valve stem, the upper portion thereof being smallerin diameterthan the lower portion, and formed integral with or fixedtosaid stem at a point near its center is an annular rib or flange 27.Positioned on the valve stemimmediately abovethis rib or flange andsupported thereby is a cylindrical'valve body 28, the external diameterof which is such that it fits snugly within and slides freely throughthe chamber 14 in housing 12. Formed in the periphery of this valve bodyand at a point near its center is an annular groove 29 which, when thevalve is properly positioned, serves to estab lish communication betweenthe ports 19 and 20. (See Fig. 2.) This valve is retained in position onthe valve stem bymeans ofnuts 30, the same being seated on a threadedportion 31 .of the valve stem and bearing directly on top of said valve.

Formed through the valve member 28 near its center is a series ofopenings 32 which establish communication-between the upper and lowerportions of the valvechamber 14. This construction permits steam to passupwardly through the valve to the upper portion of chamber 14. therebyequalizing the pressure on both sides of said valve.

Formed integral with or fixed to the lower portion of member 12 of thehousing and projecting a short distance into chamber 14 are lugs 33which perform the functions of stops to limit the downward movement ofvalve 28 in valve chamber 14. Arranged immediately to the side of eachvalve housing is an upright member 34, and journaled in the ends thereofare groove pulleys Arranged for operation on the upper pair of thesepulleys is a flexible member such as a cable or chain 36, the endsthereof being connected in any suitable manner to .the upper ends of thevalve stems 26-. A similar cable or chain 37 passes beneath the lowerpair of pulleys 35 and the ends of the last mentioned cable are suitablyconnected to the lower ends of the valve stems.

Fulorumed upon a fixed bracket 38 is a. lever '39, the ends thereofbeing. connected in any suitable manner to the cables36 and 37 andconnected; to the upper ends of this lever is one end of a'rodor likeoperating member 40, the other end-being connected to a lever 41 andwhich latter is manipulated the Sawyer. The operation of my improvedcable and control mechanism isas follows: a V

It. will be noted that both ends ofboth valve stems are connected bythecables 36 and 37. Consequently, when one valve stem and valve carriedthereby is moving downward, the other valve stem will be elevated, andthus as one valve "is opened to admit steam to the correspondingend ofcylinder 10, the other valve will be closed or shifted from steamfeeding position to its exhaust" position to permit the exhaust steam toescape into exhaust pipe 22.

The valves are actuated by manipulation of the lever 41 and throughconnecting rod 40, the movement of said lever is transmitted to thecables 36 and 37 and from thence to the valve stems.

. The steam feeding positionofthe valve is illustrated by solid lines inFig. 2, and when so positioned, live steam passes from pipe 16 throughport 19, from thence through the groove 29 around the periphery of thevalve andv from thence through port20 to pipe 11 connected thereto, andthrough said pipe to cylinder 10. The steam thus entering cylinder 10will move the piston therein through said cylinderand the exhaust steamfrom said cylinder will pass through the opposite pipe 11, from thenceto and through port 20 and the opposite valve housing, and thencedownwardly beneath the valve in said housing, and which latter valve iselevated as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and said steam will passoutwardly through elbow 13 and the branch exhaust pipe 21 connectedthereto. Thus, both valves are simultaneously operated and through theiroperation steam is alternatelyadmitted to the ends of the feed cylinder10 to actuate the piston therein, and consequently impart propermovement to the carriage or part connected to said piston and-its rod.

The valve stem v26 has bearings in both ends of the valve housing, and,therefore, said valve stem always maintains its proper operativeposition and the valve 28-seated uponthe rib or flange 27 is effectuallyprevented from dropping downward in the valve housing and I which resultvery frequently occurs where the valve stem terminates immediately belowthe valve and the latter is held on the stem by nuts or the like.

A steam feed valve and control mechanism of my improved construction iscomparatively simple. is positive in operation, and is very effective inperforming its intended functions. l

It will be readily understood that, minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved device .may be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described. without departingfrom'the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in theappended claim.

I claim: I In combination with a steam feed cylinder, pipes connected tothe ends thereof, valve housings connected to said pipes, a

steam supply pipe connected to both valve diate its ends, said endsbeing connected to housings, exhaust pipes leading from said an adjacentcable, an operating lever. spaced housings, each housing being providedwith apart from the first-mentioned lever, and a a valve chamber, avalve stem arranged for rod connecting the lower end of the operat- 5operation in each housing, a valve carried 'ing lever with the upper endof the first- 15 by each stem for controlling the passage of mentionedlever. steam through the valve housing, cables 0011- In testimonywhereof I hereunto affix my necting the adjacent ends of both valvesignature this 18th day of March, 1919. stems, pulleys over which saidcables are 10 adapted to pass, a lever fulcrumed interme- DANIELVANZILE.

